Report From RIRA President Jeff Escobar - Recent Roosevelt Landings Shooting, Remembers Resident Patrick Stewart, CB 8 Cornell Meeting On PS 217 Partnership, Green Roof Participatory Budget Victory, Polling Initiative & More

Below is the Report From Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar

to the May 6 RIRA Common Council. Mr. Escobar discussed:

• April 25 shooting at Roosevelt Landing (organizing Town Hall meeting),
• The recent death of former RIOC Director/RIRA President/CB 8 Member Patrick Stewart (Memorial Service Scheduled for May 16 at Good Shepherd),
• June 8 Community Board 8 public meeting with Cornell Tech on Partnership with PS 217,
• PS 217 Green Roof Participatory Budget Victory and
• RIRA Polling Initiative.

Here's what Mr. Escobar had to say.

RIRA Reports On Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Funds Process - NY State Authorities Budget Office Policy Guidance Potential Roadblock To Funding

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar and Public Purpose Funds Committee Chair Dave Evans report on the current status of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Purpose Funds process.

Image From RIOC

According to Mr. Escobar and Evans:

RIRA AND PUBLIC PURPOSE FUNDS 2015

Every year since the construction of Manhattan Park, not-for-profit organizations operating and providing services and programming to the community on Roosevelt Island have been able to apply for RIOC Public Purpose Funds (PPF), which was established and made available by New York State to support community uses. The overall purpose is to help qualified organizations whose activities benefit Roosevelt Island residents by availing funding so that they may startup or continue their mission of enhancing the quality of life of Roosevelt Island Residents. The PPF process – which began in 1989 and has occurred every year since – seeks to make decisions and determinations as to which Island 501c organizations will receive a portion of the funds available.

As such and in that the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) strives for “voluntary sharing” of certain responsibilities and the “common good” for all Island residents, RIOC has historically looked to RIRA to make funding recommendations for the consideration of the RIOC Board as it pertains to those community organizations applying for PPF. To this end, RIRA has been grateful to RIOC for providing it over the years the opportunity to be involved; albeit a difficult challenge that RIRA has accepted.

Why does RIRA preface its role in the PPF process as a difficult challenge? Because historically and given the number of qualified applicants, the total funds requested from the Roosevelt Island community often times more than doubles the total $100,000 budgeted funding for this particular effort. From the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association to Gallery RIVAA to Island Kids, every Island resident has in some way been touched by the PPF process, and their Island life enhanced, through an applying organizations’ education, artistic and cultural enrichment programming. Difficulty aside, RIRA continues to believe that the PPF work is consistent with its broader purpose of serving the community.

On Monday, January 5, procedures and guidelines for the 2015 Public Purpose Grant application process were posted on the RIOC website (www.rioc.ny.gov/grants), and an extensive, but good, overhaul by RIOC of the procedures in the process has been implemented. Organizations and programs hoping for assistance this year are strongly encouraged to review and familiarize themselves with the new rules and guidelines, as there are several changes to this year’s process, including a Letter of Intent, applicant presentations, and a special email address for all inquiries pertaining to the application and/or process. Moreover, one key change is that the general public may participate in the PPF process, as well, and review and provide input to individual applications.

RIRA, itself, is also coming to an understanding of the changes in the rules and guidelines, as well as its role and participation in the “Community Review Period”. Though there will be experienced members on the Committee, the Committee Chairperson will have training sessions to ensure each is familiar with the new procedures and, as RIRA understands, will require RIOC’s acceptance of each Committee member. Further, the Community Review Period (the actual review of applications) apparently will not start until the necessary affidavits have been completed by each Committee member and accepted by RIOC. To that end, RIRA is in the process of forming and selecting its PPF Committee and members, which will be comprised of representation of each of our Island Districts to the extent practicable. RIRA fully expects that the Committee it recommends to RIOC will be satisfactory and able to meet its requirements.

Following the receipt of the PPF applications, the most detailed aspect of the PPF Committee’s work will be to review and deliberate as to the merits and bona fides of each application. The most exciting could be the actual community presentations where applicants will brief the Committee followed by question/answer sessions and then, open question and answers inclusive of the public. Finally, the most difficult aspect will be independent Committee member evaluations of the applications followed by Committee funding recommendations to the entire RIRA Common Council for submission to the RIOC staff and Board.

Clouding and complicating the PPF process is the January 13, 2015 policy guidance released by the New York State Authorities Budget Office (and cited in a number of local news outlets) which reiterates the1999 and 1982 opinions of the Office of the State Comptroller and the New York State Attorney General that state and local authorities may only accept and expend or pass through loans, grants and contributions it receives from other federal, state, or other public or private sources but not grant or loan its monies awarded by the State, provided that such funding is consistent with the public purpose of the state or local authority and the statutory or programmatic limitations imposed on the use of those funds. With RIOC’s budget and operation – and the PPF itself – being funded primarily by the land rents of each of the buildings and developments that comprise Roosevelt Island but not by the State, coupled with the purely advisory and guidance nature of the opinion by the Authorities Budget Office and the fact that the aforementioned opinion has remained unchanged since 1982 and 1999 when the PPF process was underway, it is a question whether this guidance will come to bear on this year’s PPF process. RIRA itself is analyzing this issue, as well as is RIOC in conjunction with other New York State entities, as to whether the PPF process will continue on.

Regardless, given RIRA’s work in prior years, it is confident that, should the PPF process continue, RIRA will complete this effort in good order and with great pride in serving our Roosevelt Island Community. If you or your organization are interested in participating and/or applying for Public Purpose funding, go to www.rioc.ny.gov/grants, or email Erica Spencer-EL, RIOC Community Relations Specialist, at Erica.Spencer-EL@rioc.ny.gov.

Yesterday, I asked RIOC President Charlene Indelicato:

Has there been any change in the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Funds grants following this January 13 Authorities Budget Office Policy Guidance:

... All state and local authorities which, as a matter of practice or policy, grant or loan their monies to such entities without specific legislative authorization are directed to immediately end such practice or policy so as to comply with applicable state law and the opinions of the State Attorney General and State Comptroller...

Ms Indelicato replied:

As you can see, Policy Guidance 15-01 was issued on January 13th and is NEW guidance. RIOC has been in the process of discussing the guidance with similarly situated NYS authorities, and relevant units of NYS government.

More on the RIOC 2015 Public Purpose Funds process from previous post.

Report From Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Jeff Escobar - You're Invited To Join RIRA Planning, Communications, Services, Housing, Governance & Other Committees, Happy Thanksgiving Too

  Image Of 2014-16 RIRA Common Council (RIRA President Jeff Escobar Kneeling Wearing Suit)

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

Friends and Neighbors,

At the December 3, 2014 Common Council meeting, the Common Council will be reconstituting its committees, as well as electing and seating each committee’s chairs. The bulk of the work that the new Common Council will do this term will be completed in these committees. As has been reported in the past, any member of RIRA – and by virtue of one’s residency on the Island, every resident is automatically a member of RIRA – can serve on a committee. Here is a quick glimpse of some of what the committees currently have on this term’s agenda:

The Communications Committee is undertaking an overhaul of the website www.RIRAonline.com. The goal is to transform it to a useful resource for residents seeking current information about activities and groups on Roosevelt Island, and to serve as an electronic repository for official documents. The committee will also be undertaking an initiative to use social media and other forms of electronic publication to keep Island Residents apprised in “real-time” of the ongoing activities of the Island. Residents who are skilled in web development and writing are invited to contact the current Communications Committee chair Janet Falk at janetlfalk@yahoo.com for more details.

The Planning Committee this near term will be largely focused on infrastructure and transportation safety. With the advent of the Cornell campus coming online to full construction-mode in 2015, coupled with the tragic accident involving one of our neighbors who collided with a Red Bus, infrastructure and transportation safety will be the focus as RIRA works to find real solutions for the Island. Recently, the group reported its thorough discussion of the lighting and roadways where bicycle traffic proceeds; bicycle and pedestrian use of the promenades vs. Main Street; and the role of Public Safety in issuing violations for failure to yield and observe stop signs. During just that short discussion, there was general agreement that a traffic light should be installed at the base of the helix; “sharrows” or shared roadway arrows should be painted in the promenade roads; and lighting must be improved at all crosswalks. Pending further research and study, a resolution(s) prepared by this Committee will be submitted to the Common Council to be recommended to RIOC and all City public agencies.

As Hudson Related finishes work on its seventh tower, with the eight and ninth towers waiting in the wings, in 2015 the Planning Committee, Island Services Committee and the RIRA President will be calling for a number of Town Hall meetings and hearings with Hudson Related, RIOC, the City and Island Residents and Stakeholders to study the impacts – including environmental, social and economic impacts – that the construction of the seventh and remaining towers will have on the Island as it struggles with the construction of the Cornell Campus. Similarly, the Main Street Retail Advisory Committee will be pushing for the planning and completion of the lease-up of the remaining retail spaces on Main Street in 2015, setting forth their recommendations for the currently empty storefronts.

The above is just a glimpse of the work and initiatives that the RIRA Common Council Committees will be undertaking this new term. From Government Relations and Housing, to SC&E (Social, Cultural and Education) and Public Safety, there exists a committee which is calling for you, as an Island Resident, to come and serve. Interested in joining a committee or finding out more information? Attend the next RIRA Common Council meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd at 8:00pm in the Good Shepherd Center, or reach out and contact RIRA President Jeff Escobar at jeffrey.escobar@gmail.com.

Turning from service on RIRA Committees to service on the Common Council, an Orientation for New Representatives was held on Thursday, November 20. Topics included procedures of working within committees and bringing motions to the Common Council for discussion, as well as answering questions of new members. In addition, a presentation was made by Mickey Rindler, Chair of the Ethics Committee, on the recent requirements of New York State regarding disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, as well as a presentation by Lynne Shinozaki, a past SC&E Committee Chair, and Sherie Helstien, RIRA Vice-President, on what it means to serve on the Common Council and work being completed by committees.

If you are interested in serving on the RIRA Common Council, which meets monthly, there are still a few seats on the Octagon, Manhattan Park, Southtown and Roosevelt Landings delegations. Take the opportunity to perform direct advocacy by representing your building neighbors on the Common Council. Please reach out to either RIRA President Jeff Escobar at jeffrey.escobar@gmail.com or Aaron Hamburger, Chair of the Nominations Committee, at ashamburger33@gmail.com for more information. 



Lastly, as we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, the RIRA Common Council wishes to extend a joyous Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours. Please take a moment to look back and reflect on the blessings of this past year, as well as remember those in our community who are less fortunate and in need. Whether through a donation to a local food pantry, handing out food at our City’s overburdened shelters, or pitching in at the dinner at the Senior Center, hopefully each of us will find a way to help everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Your RIRA Common Council

Report From Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Jeff Escobar - Proposes Upcoming RIRA Initiatives And Seeks An End To Past Internal Dissension

 Image Of 2014-16 RIRA Common Council (RIRA President Jeff Escobar Kneeling Wearing Suit)

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

At the time of this publication, and with your vote this past Tuesday, November 4th, a new board of officers and councilmembers comprising of over 30 of our Island neighbors, residents, family and friends will have been seated to the Common Council. Answering the call to serve the Island and its residents, this new Common Council will be tasked with not only being your voice and your representatives to RIOC, the City and to the State, but with both finding solutions to issues that will have and continue to affect our community, as well as strengthening the community bonds that binds us together. A congratulations is in order not only for those who had put themselves
out there and ran in some highly contentious races, but also to those who had served previously on the past Common Council, those who stepped up to fill seats that would otherwise go unfilled, and to those who helped run and facilitate this term’s election process ensuring that RIRA and its Common Council would continue. It was a privilege to serve with the past Common Council members, and I welcome all who are both returning and new.

With the elections past, now is the time for the Common Council to roll up its sleeves and to get back to the work that it should have been doing for the last two years. The energy and resources that past Common Councilmembers spent on meaningless process, internal scrutiny, targeted conflicts and aggravating internal politics should be redirected to what the Island Community has asked RIRA to do: finding solutions to community issues, making Roosevelt Island a better place to work, play and live, and to be a unified voice for the community.

I will be calling on the Common Council to focus its energies on the following initial initiatives this term which I believe currently affect the community:

1. working with both Manhattan’s Community Board 8, the Department of Transportation, RIOC, and the City Planning Commission, to conduct a study and find transportation and transportation safety solutions for the Island and the Island roadways for the next five (5) years, including a visioning statement as to the use of alternative means of transportation, improvements to existing means of transportation and how transportation related injuries and deaths can be avoided; 
2. preparation of what is believed to be the environmental, infrastructure, and socio-economic impacts that the development of the three remaining towers being built at Southtown will have on the Island, culminating in a number of RIRA led meetings between Island Residents, RIOC, RIRA and the project’s stakeholders seeking to address and find solutions to these impacts and a community agreement; 
3. the completion of a study and the creation of a Roosevelt Island action plan regarding, the environmental and health impacts to Island residents due to the reinstatement and use of the East 92nd Street Marine Transfer Station; 
4. preparation of an advisory statement on the current state of Motorgate, its services to the Island, and what the residents believe must be done for Motorgate to better serve both those who use the facility as well as those who pass through it; 
5. the repair, mediation and repair of the existing Island infrastructure and early identification of infrastructure problems that pose high community risk; and 
6. safety and patrol initiatives for the North of the Island. 

The preceding is hopefully a fraction of work that the Common Council must and will accomplish this year; others on the Common Council will similarly have their own initiatives which they will wish the Common Council to undertake.

Do you have initiatives that you believe the Common Council and RIRA should focus its sights on? Do you believe you have talents and experience to bring to the table that will accomplish these goals and initiatives? Consider joining a committee during this term or even possibly filling a seat on the Council that remains unfilled. Reach out to myself, as RIRA President, at any time at jeffrey.escobar@gmail.com.

The age of infighting and internal strife and politics for RIRA and the Common Council is over. It’s time for all of us, Common Council members, community members, residents, stakeholders and partners alike, to come to the table and once again work for the betterment of the Island and its residents. I look forward to this new age and working with you all as your RIRA President.

UPDATE 7 PM - RIRA President Jeff Escobar presented his first President's Report to the new RIRA Common Council on November 5. Mr. Escobar discussed the responsibilities of RIRA members including serving on Committees and sought members to serve on the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition which monitors the activities of Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island.

Here's what he had to say.

Statement From Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Candidate For Common Council President Jeff Escobar

 Image of RIRA President Jeff Escobar From CB 8 Speaks Video

Jeff Escobar is the current President of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA). On November 4, RIRA will be holding elections for its new Common Council building representatives, Vice President and President.

Mr. Escobar is running unopposed for RIRA President. Below is statement from Mr. Escobar in support of his candidacy for RIRA President.

Infighting. Internal politics. Organizational power struggles. These are not the foundations of what the Roosevelt Island Residents Association or its Common Council were founded on nor built upon. Unfortunately, as Vice-President, I was forced to ascend to the office of the President of the Common Council under such an atmosphere when the Common Council’s past president resigned earlier this year. Truly, what I had inherited was a dispirited and self-involved body that was representative of no one except itself, and who seemed to have lost both its way and its community goodwill.

When I undertook the office of President with only six or so months remaining of the past administration’s 24 month term, my goals were relatively simple: to bring stability to a house that had come unglued, to inject a sense of professionalism and community pride in those sitting members who chose to remain on the Common Council, to restore legitimacy back to the work of the Common Council, and to right the ship so that the new Common Council – the one that is being elected this year – would have a vehicle and foundation to be successful in its coming term. My thought was then, as it is now, that the only way that the Common Council can be focused on doing the work of the Island people is if it, itself, had rid itself of its inefficiencies, its internal politics and power struggles, and its focus on everything except the needs of the Island and its residents.

I will not say that complete success has been reached. We can and should always do better. What has been reached is a willingness and desire to get on with the work of the Island and to do what the Common Council was elected originally to do: to be the voice and advocate for the Island and to bind the ties that make us, Roosevelt Islanders, a community.

Community, Island Quality of Life, Families and Neighborhoods, Public Advocacy. That is what RIRA and its Common Council has always been and should always be about. To return to its core mission, RIRA and its Common Council needs a leader who can bridge the gaps and differences that divide our community; who has a strong sense of professionalism and community pride and understands that it is the greater good of Roosevelt Island that matters the most; a President who, above all, understands that debate and compromise – not victimization and constant threat – is how the work of the Island community can be accomplished.

For the last six years, I have been deeply involved with the Common Council, first as a building representative of the Octagon to the Common Council, then as its Vice-President in 2012 and now as its current President. During that time, I also represented the interests of Roosevelt Island in the City at large, appointed by the Manhattan Borough President for the last five years to Manhattan Community Board 8 and serving as chair of both its Roosevelt Island-Cornell Technion Task Force and the Roosevelt Island Committee. In my varying capacities and representation of the Island, I have watched as our Island, which was once considered a floating village of small town life in the big City, grapple with the challenges of being a symbol and example of growth and change within the City. As our population grows, as our socio-economic makeup changes, as the original Islanders age and both new and young legacies take root on the Island, our Island, our community, our Island way of life is facing insurmountable challenges that will change the identity of the Island forever. The question we must all ask this coming election is who do we want leading us into this age of change?

In various ways, I have answered that call. Working closely with the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition, and in my capacities on Manhattan Community Board 8, I have helped steer the Island through the ULURP process as it sought to secure concessions from the stakeholders of the Project which would ensure successful integration of the Cornell community into the Island while benefitting all who live, work and visit our home. During my short terms as RIRA President, I have tirelessly continued to advocate and support Island programs and initiatives which seek to bring a sense of community and neighborhood between all on the Island from its northern tip to its southern tip; just this past term I have been charged with – and if elected President will convene – a Town Hall meeting and conference of the Community and the stakeholders of the Hudson Related project as it comes to grip with the impacts the construction of the remaining towers will have on the Island. With RIOC, we have worked to ensure that our access to greenspaces and community resources and infrastructure remain intact while construction of the Cornell campus and the three remaining towers of Southtown are built. In such a short time as the organization’s President, we have come such a long way and done so much, but we can do better – we can do more.

With your vote and my election to the Presidency, I will seek and support initiatives which will ensure that not only that our Island way of life is preserved, but Island futures of our children, our grandchildren and all of those who come to the Island so that they, too, will enjoy the same idyllic way of life that we have had the privilege of enjoying. This will include calling on the Common Council to spearhead initiatives which will seek to open greater and expansive educational opportunities and support for both our private and public schools on the Island, from preschool to elementary to middle school upward; focus on greater and improved management of the Island’s infrastructure and transportation systems, including the accommodation of alternative means of Island transportation from the Red Bus to bikes; revitalize the preservation of greenspace on the Island while focusing on environmental concerns which affect both the Island and our neighboring communities, especially as the 92nd Street transfer station completes its refurbishment and the question of whether or not we will be seeing continuous refuse and garbage barges floating up past our Island on the East River remains; provide education to Island residents as the housing stock changes on the Island and the WIRE buildings begin their efforts to exit the Mitchell-Lama program; answer the question of why so many of us residents leave the Island and what it takes to ensure that those who are on the Island stay. To successfully spearhead such initiatives and ensure that successful results come to fruition, RIRA, the Common Council and Roosevelt Island needs a President as its leader who is cognizant of the need to work with, not against, RIOC, the City and the State in finding meaningful long lasting solutions, and who understands the benefits of building coalitions with all of the stakeholders on the Island.

When my wife and I moved to this little ship floating in the East River almost nine years ago to become one of the original residents of the Octagon, there was no Cornell campus, there was no FDR memorial, the original tram was in place, and the Octagon was barely built. Back then, when we told others we lived on Roosevelt Island, we were met with questions of where that was and why we moved there. Today, when we tell people where we live, we are met with comments of admiration for the Island, its beautiful setting and its community. I have always been proud to call myself a Roosevelt Islander, and I hope in this coming term to make you proud as well to call our little ship in the East River your home. Please vote for me as your next RIRA Common Council President.

Here's the list of RIRA Common Council Candidates

running in the November 4 election.

Report From RIRA President Jeff Escobar - Condolences To Family Of Roosevelt Island Bike Rider Anna Maria Mostrom, Bike/Car/Pedestrian Safety Initiative, RIRA Elections & Candidate Nights

 Image Of October 8 Red Bus Collision With Bike Rider Anna Maria Mostrom From Kevin Deutsch Tweet

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

On Saturday, October 18th, a memorial service was held at The Swedish Church on East 48th Street for our beloved Octagon neighbor and fellow Islander Anna-Marie Mostrom. As many of you know, Anna-Marie had been in a tragic accident with one of our Red Buses and, in a blink of an eye, her life that was a light to so many was put out. Our prayers and thoughts are with her family as they struggle to make sense of this tragedy. Sadly, it is times like these which cause all of us to take pause on our crazy and busy lives to sit back and take stock in all that we have, the family members we love, and the community that surrounds us. It is also unfortunately tragic events like these which cause us to reflect inward and ask what we could have done differently individually, as neighbors, as a community to have prevented what happened.

As the popularity and necessity for bike transportation grows, as does the size of our community, RIRA will be taking a closer look at how accidents which led to Anna-Marie’s death, as well as other bike and pedestrian deaths and injuries, can be prevented. Just as The City has enacted the Vision Zero initiative which is aimed at preventing pedestrian-motorist accidents, I will be asking the new RIRA Common Council to undertake a similar initiative under the new term working with local community and bike advocacy groups in finding a way to stop such accidents from happening on our little Island again. Both motorists, cyclers, and pedestrians, from young to old alike, should feel safe and confident that walking, riding and motoring on our street will never result in injury or an accident; and the only way that can happen is if we come together as a community to find a mutually agreeable way that we can all share and enjoy the road together.

As stated above, it will be the new RIRA Common Council who will be charged with this new initiative, and it will be up to you as a member of RIRA – of which each and every one of us becomes when we become a resident of this Island – to decide who will be part of the new Common Council. As we have stated in this column and elsewhere before, the election for who will be representing your interests in the Common Council is coming fast upon us. On Tuesday, November 4th, each of you will have a chance to directly elect who will sit on the Common Council and undertake such initiatives as that above, as well as so many more that directly impact our lives as Island residents.

But, who are these Candidates? I am happy to announce that nearly a full slate of candidates for nearly all of the buildings have placed themselves on this year’s ballot, and you will have an opportunity to directly meet and question each of your neighbors who chose to run for a seat on the Common Council and represent your building in the coming week in a Town Hall setting. This is a rare opportunity to not only participate in a direct election and to see the democratic process in action, but to directly pose the difficult questions which afflict our community to the candidates. I encourage each and every one of you to attend your building’s respective Meet the Candidates event as set forth below, and to not hold anything back as you search for who you wish to represent you in this coming term on the Common Council:

Rivercross, Island House and Westview Candidates Night – Tuesday,October 28th at 8PM in the Westview Community Room located at 625 Main Street.

Manhattan Park & 2/4 River Road Candidates Night – Tuesday, October 28th at 8PM in the Manhattan Park Community Room located at 4 River Road.

Southtown Candidates Night – Thursday, October 30th at 8PM in the Party Room located at 455 Main Street.

Roosevelt Landings Candidates Night – Thursday, October 30th at 8PM in the Westview Lower Community Room (625 Main Street)

Octagon Candidates Night – Thursday, October 30th at 8PM in the Lobby Art Gallery located at 888 Main Street.

I also encourage all of you to attend the President and Vice-President Candidates Night for the those vying for the chance to lead the new Common Council on Wednesday, October 29th at 8PM at the Westview Lower Community Room (625 Main Street) located at the middle of the Island.

As I have always said, the choice to run and to become part of the Common Council is the ultimate in community service, and to each of the candidates who have put themselves out there, the best of luck. If the slate of candidates is any indication, the next administration and Common Council looks to be a promising one who faces a challenging term ahead. I have every confidence, however, that whomever is given the honor of representing our community will undoubtedly be successful.

Report From RIRA President Jeff Escobar - NYC Council Participatory Budgeting Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting, Upcoming RIRA Elections, Daffodil Project Planting And Fall For Arts Festival

 Image of RIRA President Jeff Escobar From CB 8 Speaks Video

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

On Saturday, October 11, our little Island will again mark the seasonal passing from summer to fall with the annual Fall for the Arts Festival. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., artists of all ages, children to adults, are invited to come together at Southpoint Park and on the lawn south of 531 Main Street to help in the outdoor painting of enormous 6-by-8-foot murals, to participate in interactive art and music workshops, and to watch performance art – all intended to reflect this year’s theme of “A Multicultural Renaissance,” celebrating the cultural, ethnic, racial, and economic diversity of our community while evoking the magic and artistic sensibilities of an age long gone. It's truly gratifying to see neighbors, family, and friends come together, put aside any differences, and roll up their sleeves, pick up a paint brush, engage in friendly chatter, and, even if only briefly, allow their artistic selves to come out. Whether you want to participate, volunteer, or just observe, I strongly encourage you and your family to come and enjoy the festivities sometime during that day.

If art is not your thing but planting is, come help iDig2Learn, in collaboration with the RI Garden Club, RI Youth Program, Gristedes, PS/IS 217, its PTA, and the RI Girl Scouts, from 10:45 a.m. to 12 noon on that same Saturday, October 11, to plant Roosevelt Island’s share of nearly five million daffodil bulbs donated by New Yorkers 4 Parks to the City of New York. Established in 2001 as a living memorial to September 11, The Daffodil Project has grown in the past 13 years to be the largest citywide planting, involving more than 100,000 school kids, parks and gardening groups, civic organizations, corporate volunteers, and other New Yorkers. Now, as one of the kickoff events for our Fall for the Arts Festival, the inaugural Daffodil Project on Roosevelt Island, as hosted by iDig2Learn, will "paint with nature" through the completion of its share of the massive daffodil-bulb planting at the flower bed near Gristedes and the Motorgate Red Bus turnaround.

The planting will be a great family-friendly event and an opportunity to engage in some community pride and beautification, bringing together both new and old Island groups, as we plant bulbs this fall to greet our community next spring with cheerful daffodils and to remember loved ones lost in the September 11 tragedy. Free pre-registration for children, families, and the community begins at 10:45 a.m. at the Motorgate Red Bus turnaround near Gristedes. If you are interested in volunteering for the event, or wish to learn more about either iDig2learn or The Daffodil Project on Roosevelt Island, please reach out to Christina Delfico at iDig2Learn@gmail.com. To learn more about the citywide Daffodil Project, go to New Yorkers 4 Parks at http://ny4p.org and/or The Daffodil Project at http://ny4p.org/daffodil-project.

In 2011, four New York City Council Members launched a process to let residents of New York City have a chance to advocate for how portions of the City's capital discretionary funds would be allocated and used throughout the City's various communities. This year, twenty-three Council Members, including Council Member Ben Kallos who represents the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, have been given the opportunity to participate in the process, giving this district an opportunity to advocate for a share of the $25 million in City capital discretionary funds. To facilitate this process, on October 7th, from 6pm to 9pm at the Senior Center located at 545 Main Street, Council Member Kallos will be having a town hall meeting with Roosevelt Island residents to allow our community to come together to brainstorm, discuss, and supply ideas of how this year's capital discretionary funds should/could be allocated in the City's various communities. If you’re passionate about green spaces, Senior Citizen services, etc. this is the place to start, and I encourage all Roosevelt Islanders to attend this event. For more information regarding the NY City Council Participatory Budgeting, point your browser to: http://pbnyc.org/content/about-new-york-city-process.

Lastly, nominations for a position on the RIRA Common Council and/or as an Executive Officer will open on Wednesday, October 1, and close on October 24 at 9 p.m. Nomination forms can be obtained by email from Nominations Committee Chair Aaron Hamburger (ashamburger33@gmail.com), or in hard copy at either our Public Library or at Public Safety (where there will also be a lock box to drop off your completed forms). As we have been saying in this column, running for an office to represent either your building or RIRA itself is the ultimate form of community service. If you are interested in running and/or have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Aaron at ashamburger33@gmail.com or 212-758-2623. And come to our October 1 Common Council meeting at 8:00 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center to see the body in action.

UPDATE 2:45 PM - RIRA Common Council Candidate Nomination Election Flyer.

Report From Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Jeff Escobar - Looks Back At RI Summer And Forward To Upcoming Elections, Urges Residents To Get Involved And Help Improve Community

 Image of RIRA President Jeff Escobar From CB 8 Speaks Video

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

As the summer draws to a close and we, as a community, squeeze out the last bit of summer fun this Labor Day, I encourage all of us to come together, look ahead and plot a course of action for our community and for RIRA. As I have stated in prior columns, this year is an election year for the RIRA Common Council officers and members, and in the fall we will be effectively setting the community agenda for the next two years. Who chooses to run and who we, as a community, elect to represent our interests and to be our community advocates from that slate of candidates will have a deep impact on where our little ship in the East River is headed.

If you have been tracking Island news these past few months, not only has this summer brought to light a number of issues within our local community operating corporation and its Board that governs the operations and services of our Island, a number of quality of life issues have arisen as well. From the release of the Inspector General’s reports on the past activities of prior RIOC administrations to an increase in petty crime on the Island to the eroding of public services and facilities, it would seem to some that our idyllic island is idyllic no more and that our way of Island life has slowly melted in the summer sun.

Except, the blaze of the summer sun was not as hot as in summers past, new families and new faces continue to move to the Island while we say goodbye to old neighbors, old buildings and new buildings continue the slow march of being torn down and being built, movies in the park were still had (although moved around), concerts at the Good Shepherd Community Center continued, and visitors still continue to flock to the Island tram to take that one picture. In short and despite the naysayers of the few, the rhythm of life continued and continues on the Island, albeit in differing tempos and in differing tones than before.

During the Candidates Night hosted this past summer by RIRA’s Government Relations Committee and its Legislative Subcommittee, what is abundantly clear is that what our Island is seeking are more community advocates willing to understand and to represent the Island both within the Island itself and to the greater City and State. Issues such as infrastructure, crime, public safety, population growth, public services, repair and maintenance of facilities, and security continue to pervade our Island. The commencement of the construction of the Cornell campus and the topping off of the first of the new Related towers represent just a fraction of Island issues that require attention and resolution. Although in the next few months, the RIRA Common Council will attempt to address these issues, it will be you, the next class of Island leadership, officers and Common Council members who will be elected in November who will set the agenda and tone for the pivotal years to come.

Whether you are newbie or a veteran of the Island, young or old, working or retired, the RIRA Common Council needs your fresh and innovative ideas, professional expertise and dedication to preserving our way of life to breathe new life into RIRA. Not sure if it’s really for you? Come to our Fall session this September 10th at 8:00pm at the
Good Shepard Community Center, introduce yourselves, ask questions and become engaged. For the only way we, as a community, have a fighting chance of preserving our way of Island life is if each of us have a hand in its future.

Won’t you run for RIRA Common Council?

RIRA President Jeff Escobar On NY State Inspector General's Roosevelt Island Corruption Report And Possible Hate Crime Incident Against Roosevelt Island Resident

 Image From RIRA

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar had the following to say regarding the recent NY State Inspector General's (IG) Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)  corruption report and the possible hate crime incident against a Roosevelt Island Sikh resident now under investigation by the NYPD.

From Mr. Escobar:

Regarding the IG report, please note:

The past administration of then RIOC President Torres, Vice-President Martinez and CFO Chironis was prior to the current RIRA administration, and well before my time as RIRA President. The community thanks the Inspector General for its service and report, and has every confidence that the current RIOC administration will not engage in such practices as identified therein.

As to the Blackwell Park attack:

Roosevelt Island is a diverse community that takes pride in its differences and ability to come together, no matter a neighbor's background. Violence of any sort or form on our Island should never be tolerated, regardless of its basis. News of any attack that occurs on Roosevelt Island is a disturbing one, and we will be asking our RIRA Public Safety Committee to closely monitor and report on the situation.

Still no comment for the RIOC Board of Directors on the IG Roosevelt Island corruption report.

RIRA Island House Common Council member Helen Chirivas added:

The RIOC governance structure is deliberately kept weak by Albany so that Albany leaders can exert maximum control over development decisions. Having a weak structure may suit the Governor and the legislative leaders, when it comes time to making development decisions that may be unpopular with the local populace, but having a such a weak structure also means the potential for corruption is “unlimited:” For every “scandal” that the IG uncovered, there are probably ten more that remain hidden. The RIOC governance structure, as weak as it is, is a recipe for disaster and an invitation to abuse.

And:

I am distressed by this violent attack on a man walking down the street on RI minding his own business – an attack that occurred because of prejudice and hate. He was attacked because he “looked different” or “dressed differently” than those that attacked him. This is prejudice and those that attacked this innocent man must be found and brought to justice for their hateful deed.

We are all brothers and sisters, and cultural differences should be celebrated, not looked upon with suspicion or hate. This is true everywhere, but especially on RI with its large number of residents of all nations employed by the United Nations, an organization dedicated to peace and brotherhood.

(1) I call on RIOC and PSD to immediately disseminate information to the community, perhaps starting with presentations at the school and/or at churches or other community organizations, pointing out that brotherhood is key and dispelling religious, cultural, ethnic, or racial prejudice, which has no place on RI, in NY, or in the US. Despite the monumental and long overdue achievement of electing and re-electing an African American President after approximately 265 years of the existence of the United States, bringing the hope that America had finally entered a “post-racial” age, cultural/ethnic prejudice still unfortunately exists. It is up to us to call for the preservation of our community’s peace and security by requesting that RIOC and PSD immediately implement an education program as outlined above.

(2) PSD needs to allocate officer resources more effectively. If necessary, if there are inadequate number of officers, the NYPD can supplement the presence of officers on the ground. To be the victim of hateful slurs and violently attacked at 8PM – when the sun is in fact still out at this time of year – is unacceptable here, in our community, or anywhere else in the US. Where was PS when this attack occurred? Residents need to be reassured that their reasonable expectation of security on the island is well-founded. Perhaps a Town Hall meeting wherein PSD can describe the measures they take to ensure residents’ security can be held.

It is important to note that no determination has been made by NYPD that a "hate crime" occurred. The incident is being investigated.

Report From RIRA President Jeff Escobar - Roosevelt Island Activities, NY State Assembly Primary Election, RIRA Common Council Election, Giving Back, CB 8 Speaks Interview & More

 Image of Mr. Escobar (right), Ms. Polivy & Mr Parnes  From CB 8 Speaks

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

Happy summer, friends and neighbors! The “dog days” are truly upon us, and the Common Council hopes that the season thus far has been a safe and healthy one for you, full of outdoor fun, family, and memories. This is a magical time on Roosevelt Island, and our little ship in the East River is abuzz with the excitement and energy that only summer can bring. Kicked off in June with another successful and well-attended Roosevelt Island Day, the activities continue to roll on. With outdoor movies on Saturday nights at Southpoint Park or Firefighters Field, family workshops at the FDR Memorial Park on Thursday mornings, informal neighborhood picnics and barbecues at our parks, and the R&R Family Concerts at the Good Shepherd Center, there has never been so much to do (or not do). We hope that you continue to explore all that the Island has to offer during the waning summer days.

As fall approaches, election season draws near. This year will be pivotal for Roosevelt Island -- our District will be electing a new Assemblymember to represent us in Albany. The Democratic primary for the seat is Tuesday, September 9. Understanding its importance, the Government Relations Committee of the RIRA Common Council is sponsoring a Town Meeting on Tuesday, August 5, at 8 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, to give all of you the opportunity to meet the candidates. Come and directly ask the tough questions of Gus Christensen, Ed Hartzog, David Menegon, and Rebecca Seawright, to see if they truly understand the stakes here on the Island, and if they have what it takes to represent us.

Speaking of elections -- for many months now, I have asked that each of you consider giving back to our community by serving on the Common Council. In September, the Council will reconvene after the 3-month summer hiatus, and its activities will include the arduous task of conducting November's Island-wide election for Council members and executive officers. The new Council members will determine RIRA's direction and initiatives for the next two years. Issues of Council concern include the expansion of the Island’s population as the remaining Southtown towers come on line, and the accelerated crumbling of the Island’s infrastructure, and the environmental hazards and community well-being at risk, as the Cornell project marches toward Phase I completion. Do you have an interest in collectively solving these, and many other, Island issues? If so, I hope that you will run for a seat on the Common Council. If you have questions about what it means to serve on the Council, how to run for a seat, or how to get more involved, please do not hesitate to reach out to your current Building Representative, or to me at president@riraonline.com.

Finally, I invite all of you to tune to the Manhattan News Network (Time Warner Ch. 34/RCN Ch. 82/FiOS Ch. 33) on Thursday, August 7, at 9:30 p.m. to view Part II of an interview, by former RIRA President Ellen Polivy, of Larry Parnes and me as Co-Chairs of Community Board 8 Manhattan’s Roosevelt Island Committee. We discuss the issues that we believe the Island faces in the near and distant futures in the context of New York City as a whole, and how we believe that we as a community can start solving them. For Part I of the series, go to either http://cb8m.com/cb8speaks or here.

Have a question or issue you would like to discuss?Email me at president@riraonline.com. And be sure to say hello when you are out and about. And have a very happy rest of your summer!

Here's Part 2 of CB 8 interview on Roosevelt Island governance with Mr. Escobar and Mr. Parnes hosted



by Ellen Polivy.

Community Board 8 Speaks On Roosevelt Island Governance Issues - Ellen Polivy Interviews CB 8's Jeff Escobar & Larry Parnes On Unusual NY State And NY City Jurisdiction

 Image of Ms. Polivy, Mr Parnes and Mr Escobar From CB 8 Speaks

Roosevelt Island resident, Co- Chair of the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) and Community Board 8 (CB8) member Ellen Polivy  interviewed Roosevelt Island Residents Association President (RIRA) Jeff Escobar and Community Board 8 member Larry Parnes on Roosevelt Island governance issues. Mr Escobar and Mr. Parnes are also Co-Chairs of CB 8's Roosevelt Island Committee.

Here's Ms. Polivy's CB 8 Speaks interview on Roosevelt Island governance with Jeff Escobar and Larry Parnes.



The CB 8 Speaks Roosevelt Island governance discussion was part 2 of the interview. Part 1 was a discussion of the Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech project.

Community Board 8 Speaks On Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech Project -Ellen Polivy Interviews CB 8's Jeff Escobar & Larry Parnes On ULURP, Community Benefit Agreement And Dealing With Cornell

 Image of Ms. Polivy, Mr Parnes and Mr Escobar From CB 8 Speaks

Roosevelt Island resident, Co- Chair of the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) and Community Board 8 (CB8) member Ellen Polivy reports:

I interviewed Larry Parnes and Jeff Escobar in two segments that will air monthly for the next 2 months on all local cable networks. First show will air at 9:30 pm on thurs July 3. First topic is Cornell. Second topic is RI governance. Called "CBS Speaks",  it will be on MNN. (Manhattan neighborhood network)

The show will also be available on the CB8m.com.

Mr. Escobar, President of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA), and Mr. Parnes are both members of CB 8 and were very active citizens representing the interests of Roosevelt Island residents during the various negotiations with Cornell NYC Tech.

Topics discussed during the interview included the Cornell NYC Tech Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), community benefit agreements and the strategy used by the Roosevelt Island community to organize themselves for negotiations with Cornell.

Mr. Escobar and Parnes also describe their expertise in real estate and land use matters, Mr. Escobar as an attorney and Mr. Parnes was formerly the Deputy Director of NYC Planning Commission.

Here's the full interview.



The subject of Part 2 will be Roosevelt Island governance.

Roosevelt Island Day - Planting, Clean Up, Games, Rides, Yoga, Rowing, Blood Drive, Petting Zoo, Concert & Much More Family Fun Saturday June 21

Image From Roosevelt Island Youth Program

According to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato:

Roosevelt Island Day 2014 will take place very soon and excitement for this fantastic yearly event is building quickly. Urban American, in partnership with RIOC and the Roosevelt Island Youth Program, invite you to join in the neighborhood beautification effort and free community celebration on Saturday June 21, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Many wonderful activities are planned for this free event, including an early-morning planting and cleanup, carnival games and rides, outdoor yoga classes, a free concert, giveaways and much more. We hope that you will take part in this celebration of your community and the people that make Roosevelt Island such a unique and special place in New York City.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association President (RIRA) Jeff Escobar reports:

... As a kick-off to summer, I encourage all to attend this year’s Roosevelt Island Day on Saturday, June 21, for a day of family fun, games, rides, and more. Not only does Roosevelt Island Day allow us to come together and strengthen the bonds that make us a community, to meet neighbors old and new, and to have another excuse to be outdoors, but it is also a day when you, as a resident, can give back to the Island. Sometimes, in the fun and hoopla, it can be forgotten that Roosevelt Island Day was originally created as a day of Island service and beautification; a day when anyone and everyone is encouraged to pick up a shovel and plant new flowers and seedlings throughout the Island, to clean up and take care of Island areas that need attention, and to generally come together as a community to make this Island a more clean and beautiful place to live, work, and play. Interested in being a volunteer or want to help out? All you need to do is show up on Roosevelt Island Day and raise your hand, and you’ll be given a t-shirt and a task. We hope to see all of you there. Make sure that you come by the RIRA Hospitality Table early that morning to get some coffee and bagels for fortification.

In conjunction with Roosevelt Island Day and its theme of service to the community, RIRA continues to hold its annual Blood Drive at the Farmer’s Market, every Saturday through Roosevelt Island Day. If planting and repairing are not your fortes, but you still want to give back to our community, then consider signing up to give blood. It takes only a little to help so many....

Charlie DeFino, Executive Director of the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP) adds:

I am thrilled that this wonderful Roosevelt Island tradition, which was revitalized by RIYP and Doryne Isely 15 years ago, will again take place this Saturday thanks to the joint efforts of RIOC, Urban American, RIYP, Cornell NYC Tech, Rivercross, Island House, Westview and other contributors.

Enjoy the day.

RIOC provides this Roosevelt Island Day Schedule Of Events:

8:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM: Free Yoga Classes* (Lawn south of Rivercross, opposite Blackwell House)
9 AM: Bagels and Coffee Volunteer Breakfast
9 AM - 12 PM: "Spruce Up" and Flower Planting
10 AM - 3 PM: Blood Drive (Senior Center, 546 Main St.)
10 AM - 3 PM: RIEx - Children's Art Workshops (Blackwell Plaza, 500 Main St.)
11 AM - 1 PM: Petting Zoo
12 PM - 3 PM: Free Carnival Games & Rides
1:30 PM - 3 PM: NY Life - Masonic ID Screening (Plaza, 591 Main St.)
6 PM: Free Concert at Good Shepherd Plaza

*Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing.

More information on the 13th annual

Roosevelt Island Blood Drive

 Image From NY Blood Center

 available at previous post.

A new addition to Roosevelt Island Day will be the folks from East River Crew who invite

Image Of East River Crew Rowing Past Roosevelt Island From Chantal Frank

everyone to their table for information on their East River rowing club.

Also check out the Roosevelt Island Explorers

Image From Roosevelt Island Explorers

on Saturday:

We are inviting you to join us for a creative exploration of the Blackwell Park Grounds during Roosevelt Island Day celebrations.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
10:00am – 3:00pm
Blackwell Park
Following the children’s lead, we plan to:
1. Create art with found materials,
2. Paint the face of Roosevelt Island through portraits of its citizens,
3. Tell and act Roosevelt Island stories,
4. Make music with instruments made from reclaimed materials,
5. Choreograph dance with this music,
6. Dress up in costumes made on the spot…
And, as always, enjoy being together!
If you are interested in helping, please contact Leila:
leila@omniarch-ny.com
More information to follow soon…
Best regards,
Leila & the RiEx Team

There will also be a concert starting at 6:30 PM with the FDR Drive Band.



Roosevelt Island Day is always a fun time. Stop on by.

Here are some scenes from 2013 Roosevelt Island Day

UPDATE 6/19 - A Reader adds:
RI Island community emergency response team (CERT) will be providing Ready NYC information and raffle free go-bags and fire extinguishers. Ready NYC teaches disaster preparedness - do you know what a go bag is? Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher? Stop by the table

Former RIRA President Polivy Renews Call To Expel Farance From Common Council - Farance Answers RIRA Critics, Accuses Main Street Wire Newspaper Of Biased, Shoddy Reporting And Criticizes RIOC President Indelicato For Procurement Criteria

As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) May 2014 Common Council approved a resolution requesting $10 Thousand:

... in order to continue its work for the Island....

from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC).

The motion was approved by a vote of 18 in favor 1 against and 2 abstentions. RIRA Common Counsel Member Frank Farance was the lone vote against.

 Image of Frank Farance from March 3 CB 8 MTA Transportation Meeting

The RIOC Operations Advisory Committee met on May 12 and after a presentation by RIRA Vice President Sherrie Helsien, as well as former RIRA President Matt Katz (video of presentation here), approved RIRA's request for $10 thousand. The RIRA $10 Thousand funding allocation was then placed on the May 15 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting Agenda.

Prior to the RIOC Board meeting, Mr. Farance sent an email to RIOC President Charlene Indelicato and others, including NY State Government officials, describing his objections to the RIRA $10 Thousand allocation. During the RIOC Board meeting, it was announced that the RIRA $10 Thousand allocation item was removed from the Agenda and not voted upon. RIOC did not confirm that the reason the RIRA allocation was taken off  the Agenda was the letter from Mr. Farance.

The May 24 editorial of the Main Street Wire newspaper criticized Mr. Farance for sending the letter to RIOC and NY State Government officials expressing his view opposing the $10 Thousand RIOC allocation to RIRA. According to the Main Street Wire editorial with the headline "More Politics of Destruction":

Frank Farance is at it again – or still.

With his viewpoint rejected by an 18-1 vote at the May meeting of the Residents Association’s Common Council, but in his certainty that he was right and everyone else was wrong, he set out to destroy the good works of others – and apparently succeeded.

But Farance was wrong. Wrong to play the sore loser after the vote, wrong to attack his fellow Common Council members, wrong to broadcast his attack and accusations to State officials, and wrong in his basic assumptions....

and:

... From the vantage point of a longtime observer of Farance, RIOC, and the RIRA Common Council, it now appears that Farance is expecting to leave the Island, and is quite willing to burn bridges and people on his way out the door....

Click here for the full Main Street Wire editorial.

Mr. Farance was also criticized at the June RIRA meeting by former RIRA President Ellen Polivy.  Ms. Polivy, who resigned as RIRA President after failing to expel Mr. Farance from RIRA last February, appeared at the June RIRA Meeting Public Session. Ms. Polivy accused Mr. Farance of continuing to sabotage RIRA and encouraged RIRA members to renew efforts to expel Mr. Farance from RIRA. Ms. Polivy referred to Mr. Farance as the:

Crazy Uncle 

and

Village idiot.

Here''s Ms. Polivy's full remarks during the June RIRA Public Session.



There was no reaction from the RIRA Common Council following Ms. Polivy's Public Session remarks.

Mr. Farance responds to some of his critics:

Sadly, the WIRE's reporting, editorials, journalistic standards, and ethics reach new lows. "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated", i.e., Roosevelt Island is home for me and I have no plans on leaving. It seems Dick Lutz, lacking valid arguments, short on facts, and without basis, is left with the fabrication that I'm leaving the Island. One might have expected Lutz to do some fact-checking, but that didn't happen.

The WIRE has other problems, too. Did Lutz or Briana Warsing disclose that Sherie Helstien and Matt Katz (who also spoke at the RIOC meeting) are managers at the WIRE? Certainly any credible newspaper would disclose that kind of relationship among its supervisory staff and what is being reported. My sense is that Lutz waves off these complaints with "They're All Volunteers", as he's explained his Letters policy recently. The disclosure is important because we, as readers, can have a better understanding of the perspective (a potentially biased one) in the news being reported -- whether they are volunteers or not is irrelevant to journalistic integrity. Additionally, Ms. Warsing did not disclose that her husband was one of the Common Council members who voted for the faulty RIRA proposal. Again, it is important to disclose this kind of information because readers might be concerned about journalistic conflicts of interest and bias in the WIRE's reporting: favorable and consistent with her husband's position.

While the WIRE reported that I was concerned about a fraudulent RIRA proposal, the WIRE never reported the nature of the fraud -- I'm guessing that many of the WIRE's readers would have arrived at the same concerns, too. Why didn't the WIRE, at least, report what the actual concerns of the proposal? The WIRE's staff never contacted me about my position, and it seems that the WIRE was not interested in the nature of the complaints of fraud. The WIRE seemed more concerned about supporting its tired editorial narrative about Farance, Reid, and Chirivas ... and whitewashing any unpleasant news about Friends/Staff of the WIRE.

However the NYS Attorney General had enough interest in these concerns and has started an investigation with the NYS Inspector General. I look forward to their findings.

Unfortunately, the retaliation has started again in RIRA. RIRA has a new ethics committee, Chaired by Mickey Rindler. Rindler seems more interested in having anonymous RIRA Common Council members slip in last-minute provisions in the RIRA Code Of Ethnics (which will be used to expel people from RIRA at an even quicker pace), and Rindler improperly collected votes outside of the meeting's discussion. What were those last minute provisions? In essence, those anonymous RIRA Common Council members wanted to make sure that anyone reporting RIRA misconduct outside of RIRA can be expelled. Maybe Rindler should focus more upon fixing the ethics problems within RIRA rather than looking for more reasons to expel people who report ethics concerns.

For RIOC President Indelicato, a former Westchester politician, feigns ignorance of State procurement procedures: "It was my fault, the procurement process was not right". Well when you have a 501c4 lobbying organization (RIRA) that is involved in legislation that affects your NYS Public Authority, can Indelicato tell us what the right process is for that lobbying organization to merely say "Services Rendered For Doing Good Stuff In The Past" and get money from the government? It's not just Westchester, or New York State -- I can't think of any place in the US were we'd allow this whimsical Services Rendered as a basis for legitimate government procurement. RIRA Vice President Sherie Helstien is still touting the advantages of this RIOC money: We Can Co-Mingle It With RIRA Funds. Organizations doing legitimate work don't talk this way.

Also, Indelicato is inconsistent with her procurement criteria. She can explain all the procurement hurdles for RIRA's efforts to get Air Quality monitoring for the Island, but for others (the RI Royalty) saying the magic words "Services Rendered" gets money flowing from RIOC. Certainly RIRA's proposal (as presented by another organization) would have never passed muster in its Public Purpose Grant allocations process. I seems that Indelicato, as an executive, favors the Dinosaur Brains approach towards decision-making: it's more important, in a primal way, to sniff out who is Friend and Foe and give money to your Friends, and put up roadblocks for your Foe's legitimate proposals.

Lastly, I'd like to correct the WIRE's perception that I have more power than the Governor. Nope, I don't. But Truth has more power than politicians, and that was one of the founding principles of our country.

Mr. Farance later clarified his comments regarding Mr. Rindler:

Since my letter was circulated within the Common Council, Mickey Rindler has changed his position on accepting "late" votes (he withdrew the late vote). It is exactly this kind of behavior (Mr. Rindler's) that is curbed by transparency, which Mr. Rindler opposes. Still Mr. Rindler persisted in the next Ethnics Committee meeting: he still wanted the provision (making RIRA Common Council members' actions public as a kind of "misconduct") put into the Code Of Ethics, so it would be declared misconduct for expulsion proceedings.

In essence, these rules are used to punish Common Council members who have opinions the majority does not like. If a resident (who is a RIRA member) were to do the same behavior (e.g., report to their neighbors what was heard at a Common Council meeting or RIRA committee meeting), they would not be punished. RIRA's enforcement has been selective and only against certain Common Council members.

And ditto for the Roosevelt Islander Blog: In Matt Katz's term as RIRA President, RIRA approved a policy that the RIRA agenda package could not be published, i.e., we are prohibited from sharing positions and proposed motions to our constituents until AFTER they are voted upon them. Thus, when RIRA is about to do something poor/wrong/bad, we Common Council members can get expelled from letting our neighbors know about it (so they might come to the RIRA Common Council meeting to complain in the public session). Yeah, Matt Katz's not-so-brilliant idea for quashing the minority's opinions, and making much of RIRA secret before decision-making.

Mr. Rindler makes this even worse by suggesting that people should paraphrase what someone is proposing but not reveal to our neighbors what the actual person's position/proposal/statement is. Why? Because, according to Mr. Rindler, it would allow the author of the faulty/problematic position/proposal/statement to deny that he/she said it.

Mr. Rindler has a terrible sense of ethics as it applies to RIRA practices and policies. It requires constant vigilance to keep track of these misguided and damaging ideas. The Ethics Committee, under Mr. Rindler, is not about transparency and fairness, it is about creating a framework for an express path to expulsion for Common Council members who have unpopular opinions.

I asked those mentioned by Mr. Farance if they cared to respond. None did other than Mr. Rindler who replied:

I am honored to be counted among the pantheon of civic leaders that Mr. Farance has attacked for trying their best to serve this community.

Today, Mr. Farance writes to RIOC President Indelicato expressing concern that RIOC may be reducing their financial contribution to Roosevelt Island Day.

RIRA President Jeff Escobar reports that the Common Council is currently on Summer Hiatus.

Report From RIRA President Jeff Escobar - Roosevelt Island Day A Time For Fun And Giving Back To The Community - He Continues To Do An Outstanding Job Running RIRA Meetings

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar
 

gave this report to the RIRA June Common Council Meeting requesting the Common Council Members reaffirm their commitment to RIRA during summer hiatus



and sends the following Report To The Community:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As the coolness of spring passes into the heat of summer, life on our little ship in the East River rolls forward. Open doors and windows are replaced by lulling fans and active air conditioners, family dinners around the kitchen table are now family barbecues around the picnic table, and our Island children no longer spend their days hard at work in class, but are hard at playing outside. From Saturday Night movies at Firefighters Field to Youth Baseball practice and pool parties, life on Roosevelt Island blooms fully into an idyllic picture of what summer should be in the middle of our sometimes crazy city.

As a kick-off to summer, I encourage all to attend this year’s Roosevelt Island Day on Saturday, June 21, for a day of family fun, games, rides, and more. Not only does Roosevelt Island Day allow us to come together and strengthen the bonds that make us a community, to meet neighbors old and new, and to have another excuse to be outdoors, but it is also a day when you, as a resident, can give back to the Island. Sometimes, in the fun and hoopla, it can be forgotten that Roosevelt Island Day was originally created as a day of Island service and beautification; a day when anyone and everyone is encouraged to pick up a shovel and plant new flowers and seedlings throughout the Island, to clean up and take care of Island areas that need attention, and to generally come together as a community to make this Island a more clean and beautiful place to live, work, and play. Interested in being a volunteer or want to help out? All you need to do is show up on Roosevelt Island Day and raise your hand, and you’ll be given a t-shirt and a task. We hope to see all of you there. Make sure that you come by the RIRA Hospitality Table early that morning to get some coffee and bagels for fortification.

In conjunction with Roosevelt Island Day and its theme of service to the community, RIRA continues to hold its annual Blood Drive at the Farmer’s Market, every Saturday through Roosevelt Island Day. If planting and repairing are not your fortes, but you still want to give back to our community, then consider signing up to give blood. It takes only a little to help so many.

Lastly, during July and August, the Common Council takes its summer hiatus to reset and make plans for the upcoming year of Council sessions. Because this is an election year, the tasks to be accomplished during the summer months are especially multiplied. Please take this time to reach out to your building representative, to voice concerns or goals that you wish for him/her to undertake in the upcoming sessions, and to ask any and all questions you may have. The success of the Common Council depends very much on each of you, as the community, to let the building representatives know what they can do to better serve you and the community. And, if you are interested in taking a seat at the Common Council table, please let your building representatives know, or contact me at president@riraonline.com. Elections and campaigning begin in earnest in the fall, and we look forward to welcoming the new Council.

Mr. Escobar continues to do an outstanding job presiding over the RIRA Common Council meetings.

Report From RIRA President Jeff Escobar - Calls For Renewal Of Roosevelt Island Community Fabric, Invites You To Join A Committee, Common Council Elections Approaching In Fall, July 4th Fireworks, Blood Drive & More

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar

 RIRA President Jeff Escobar Presiding At April 2014 Meeting

sends the following Report To The Community:

Flowers are blooming, the sun is rising earlier and setting later, kids abound in our playgrounds and all other available outdoor spaces, neighbors whom we have not seen for months without layers of jackets and scarves are now leisurely strolling around, and a general buzz of excitement and happiness is in the air. It’s finally springtime on our little ship in the East River, and Roosevelt Island is coming alive again.

As we throw off the doldrums of winter and recharge ourselves with the warmth of spring and, eventually, summer, each and every one of us should use this time also to renew the fabric of our community and the ties that bind us to one another and to this Island. Many of you have heeded my call to be more active in RIRA, to lend your talents, passions, and expertise, and to join one or more of RIRA’s many committees. Still interested in joining a committee or otherwise becoming more involved? I invite you to contact me at president@riraonline.com for information on how best to maximize your talents and involvement in RIRA and its many works. Moreover, this fall, the election for seats to the RIRA Common Council will be held, and the spring and summer are a perfect opportunity for reaching out to past and present Common Council members and officers to explore whether representing your district, your community, is for you. Feel free to contact me or your present RIRA representatives for more information.

Another way to participate in renewing the fabric of our community is to be a donor in the 13th annual RIRA Blood Drive, which benefits the New York Blood Center. RIRA volunteers will be manning a donor sign-up table at the Farmer’s Market for four consecutive Saturdays beginning May 31, to sign up any and all who wish to participate. The Blood Drive will culminate with the actual donations on June 21, during the annual Roosevelt Island Day festivities. If you are able, please sign up to donate. You could save a life. And, as an incentive to those who may need a little persuasion to give, Scott Bobo of our own Main Street Sweets Shop has very kindly offered, with the presentation of your donor pledge card, a “two-scoops for the price of one” offer.

The renewal of our community continues on June 21 when the RIRA Common Council, through its Social, Cultural and Educational Services Committee chaired by Julie Palermo, will be hosting RIRA’s annual breakfast on Roosevelt Island Day. In addition to attending and visiting the many booths and activities of Roosevelt Island Day, be sure to come by the RIRA table, say hello to your neighbors, and have a bagel, juice, and coffee on us!

Speaking of renewal, and investing in our community, many thanks must be given to those in the TV and film industry who come to our Island and, understanding the inconvenience to Island residents that their presence sometimes causes, continue to donate time, services, and funds to the Island and its community organizations, including RIRA.

Lastly, as the bright days of spring will turn to the dog days of summer, we were delighted to hear that the City’s annual Fourth of July celebration will be returning to the East River. For many, many years, watching the fireworks was a tradition here on Roosevelt Island, with the area south of the Queensboro Bridge as prime space for our community to come together and celebrate as one. The news of the return of the show to the East River brings hope that this Roosevelt Island tradition will also return. But the Island south of the Queensboro Bridge is now a much, much different place than it once was when the fireworks were last over the East River, when there were grassy knolls where families and friends could come together on blankets to view the show. RIRA and I can only hope that both RIOC and the foundation that operates the FDR Four Freedoms Park will recognize the significance of the return of the fireworks to the East River, and capitalize on providing an opportunity for this little Island to come together once again during the summer and create the memories for our children that so many on the Island have enjoyed.

Happy Spring!

P.S. To all those who are mothers in our little community, whether a mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister to someone, whether that someone be a pet or son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, niece or nephew, or brother or sister, a heartfelt and much deserved Happy Mother’s Day from the Common Council to each of you. May this day be one of rest, gentle reflection, and appreciation.